Peaceful Times, Disturbed
by UltraQuest
Summary: One-shot. Four years after the events of the Promised Day, Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell live together, married and with children. Stuff happens that causes a major argument between Ed and Alphonse - can the two remain together?


_Disclaimer: I do not own the Fullmetal Alchemist manga or any of its subsidiary anime series. The manga is written by Hiromu Arakawa, serialised in Monthly Shonen Gangan and published in western English speaking countries by Viz Media. The two anime series are owned by pretty much the same people. I am not affiliated with any of these sources._

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A door creaked open. One human stepped inside the lonely house, planted in the middle of an entire field of grass that was intersected with pathways to help people to get across them and to their homes. This particular living soul was carrying a crate full of vegetables, plucked straight from a nearby farm. Struggling to carry it for any longer, the young adult placed the box onto the table and breathed a sigh of relief.

 _Phew...finally got the ingredients needed for today's food,_ the blonde-haired person thought, sitting down and petting the house dog. He wore a black coat with a white under-shirt, dark trousers and brown shoes. _Some sort of salad? Soup? Whatever it is, I hope it's delicious!_

"Hey Al, when'd you get in?" asked a similar looking adult that came down the stairs. This person was wearing a brown coat and black under-shirt, dark trousers along with brown shoes that matched the first person's.

"Hi brother. I only just got in, I was busy getting the stuff Pinako wanted me to get for lunch," Alphonse Elric replied. "Where's Winry and the children?"

"She's upstairs, workin' out some automail mumbo jumbo. I'm not sure what it is, exactly," Al's brother, Edward Elric, responded. He placed one hand on his hip, seemingly irritated. His impossible gold eyes shot a look of frustration into Alphonse's soul - this was a look that immediately told the younger brother that he should choose his next few words carefully. "Kids are at some kinda daycare thing. Makes it peaceful around here."

"That's alright then-"

Suddenly, a spanner came flying down the stairs, narrowly missing Edward. This caused the older brother to jump in a mix of surprise and anger. As he expected, a familiar female voice came shouting down the hall through an open door.

"IT'S NOT MUMBO JUMBO! I THOUGHT YOU'D AT LEAST TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF AUTOMAIL AND WHY PEOPLE LIKE ME ARE SO INFATUATED WITH IT!" Winry Rockbell belted, negatively bursting with anger.

"Well, sorry! Sorry that I've had a lotta things to do these past few years and that I haven't had enough time to learn all that stuff!" Ed returned, his anger levels peaking.

"LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE GONNA NEED SOME LESSONS, MISTER! RIGHT AFTER DINNER, I'M GONNA OPEN UP 'THE ROCKBELL SCHOOL OF AUTOMAIL' AND YOU'RE GONNA BE THE FIRST STUDENT!" Winry declared. It was impossible to tell if this was a threat or some kind of playful banter.

"Fine!" agreed Ed. For some reason, his anger levels decreased to a comfortable point, able to resume his conversation with his younger brother. "So, where _is_ Pinako?"

"I'm right here," Pinako Rockbell croaked, having only just walked into the room. "Ah, good job Alphonse."

As she slowly etched her way over to the table with only her walking stick keeping her up, Alphonse decided to help her out and picked up the crate of vegetables, filling Pinako with temporary happiness.

"Where would you like it?" Alphonse asked. "In the kitchen?"

"Yes please. Thank you very much Alphonse, you're too kind...helping this old lady out..." Pinako answered, walking with Alphonse to the kitchen. The male kept a slow pace to keep the elder company. "...you know, I'm on my last legs."

"What do you mean? You've got two perfect legs already; they're not automail, so what's the problem?" Alphonse continued, curious.

"You'll see what I mean..."

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward Elric_

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Alphonse Elric_

As Alphonse and Pinako strolled into the kitchen, the healthier human out of the two placed the crate down on the floor, below the microwave and next to the oven. Keeping up his streak of good deeds, Alphonse assisted Pinako to a chair, where she too breathed a sigh of relief, though hers was not quite.

"Are you sure you're okay, Miss Rockbell? You don't look so good," Alphonse questioned, noticing the poor state that Pinako was in.

"I'm quite alright for the time being, Alphonse," Pinako sharply replied. "I'll call you and the other two down when the food's ready. Goodbye, Alphonse. Be sure to tell Ed and Winry I said goodbye."

"Sure, Pinako," Al nodded, wandering into the main room. _For the time being...?_ He wondered, confused as to what she meant. Upon hearing soothing tones from outside, Al sharply turned to face the window and found that the weather had changed. _Oh hey, it's raining. Good thing I got in on time!_

Alphonse retreated to upstairs and into his personal room and began reading one of his books, borrowed from a friend in Xing after having spent several months learning Alkahestry - a different kind of Alchemy - with the same friend. Nothing else happened, though the calming and peaceful tones of the rain outside made Alphonse, Edward and Winry feel at peace, like nothing could go wrong.

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Winry Rockbell_

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Pinako Rockbell_

It wasn't until an hour later that Winry decided to take a break from her automail to see how her grandmother was doing with dinner. Edward noticed that it was odd that Pinako hadn't finished lunch, because usually, she'd finish with it in approximately half an hour. This instigated a feeling of dread; this feeling is what pushed Winry to go and check up on her grandmother, just to see if everything was alright.

The message that Alphonse passed onto Winry didn't help this feeling.

 _"Oh yeah and for some reason, she wanted me to tell you guys goodbye. I'm not sure why, she probably forgot something outside," Alphonse relayed, having an expression of utter confusion garnered upon his face._

Winry increased her pace and even skipped some of the stairs, leaving everything she knew about the proper way to use stairs in the dust as she sped towards the kitchen door. Slamming it open, Winry was met with a surprise.

"Grandma?" she asked. Pinako was still sitting on the chair Alphonse had left her at, having done absolutely no work on lunch. Worried, Winry approached with caution and tapped her grandmother three times, then lifted her head to see that no life was in her eyes. Now filled with nothing but dread, Winry shook Pinako and even slapped her several times, though nothing worked. Nothing seemed to re-ignite the spark of life in Pinako's eyes, or her entire being.

Pinako had died.

This sudden stream of terrible news sent a reaction to Winry's voice box, causing her mouth to open, allowing a scream to emerge. Almost instantaneously, Ed and Al shot downstairs and entered the kitchen, also discovering the horrible sight of Pinkao's lifeless body slouched onto the wooden chair.

"Uh-oh! This isn't good!" Ed cried, utterly shocked by this happening. He knelt down to Winry's level, placing one hand on her shoulder to ease her pain, which was causing a river of tears to drip from her pupils.

"Wha-" Alphonse spoke, unable to get a sentence out. "This is what she meant by goodbye...Pinako..." He too, intiatied the sequence of tears known as crying.

"Why...why did she have to go? Why do I have to be an orphan...?" Winry lamented further. Her pain was not about to let up just yet.

Ed closed his eyes and did his best to hold back his tears; this only worked for several seconds. "Don't worry, Winry. Even if all your biological parents are gone from this world, they'll always be in your mind and soul. In a way, they're never really gone. Besides, you have me, don't you? You've also got Al to watch your back, so don't think for a second that your family isn't with you...'cause we're right here."

Winry turned around and removed her cupped hands from her eyes, revealing the bloodshot that came as a result of her sadness. Having heard her husband's comforting words, her tear rate greatly decreased and she found herself unable to control her actions, so nothing could be done about the resulting hug. Alphonse looked on with a great smile, though turned back to the pouring rain.

"It's a horrible day for rain," he commented. "Tomorrow, we'll have a funeral for Pinako. She deserves it."

Edward and Winry nodded. "Great idea, Al. You and me, we'll organise the whole thing. Winry, is there anybody you'd like to have over?" Ed asked, turning to his wife.

"Anybody really...some friends will do," she answered. Winry then stood up and began walking out of the kitchen, then back to her room upstairs. "I need to be alone," she spoke as she left the room.

Alphonse and Edward shared a glance, returning their gaze to Pinako. A great friend, lost even after the tragedies of their adventures four years ago.

"I suppose this is God's way of giving us a wake-up call. Like, we've been in peace for too long and we need to be reminded of what real life is like. Damn you, God," Edward sighed, punching the wall in a burst of anger. "Come on Al, let's organise this damn funeral."

"With you, brother!" Alphonse nodded, following his brother out of the room. Leaving the kitchen, Alphonse closed the door behind him. _Goodbye, Pinako._

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Den & Pinako_

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward, Alphonse & Winry_

Midday of the very next dawn, the rain had passed, allowing Edward and Alphonse to set up for Pinako's funeral. They dug a hole and placed the body into a coffin they found in the basement, then lifted the coffin up a hill, putting it down next to the grave. Next, Ed returned to the basement and returned with an empty tombstone, which he placed in front of the grave and wrote the following onto the slab of stone with a sharp object:

 _Pinako Rockbell_

 _1827-1918_

 _Mother to Urey Rockbell, mother-in-law to Sara Rockbell, grandmother to Winry Rockbell_

 _Lived a peaceful life_

"There, that should do it," Edward remarked. "How's that?"

"It's great, Ed," thanked Winry. She and the two boys wore black mourning clothes, to fit the funeral.

"And now we wait..." Alphonse stated, looking out into the distance, where the train station should be located. The three of them waited until the first guests arrived, in proper mourning clothes. "Teacher! And Sig!"

Walking down the path was indeed none other than Izumi Curtis and her husband, Sig Curtis, both great friends of the Elrics and Winry.

"So, she couldn't keep fighting her age..." Izumi commented, looking at the coffin. "Winry, I'm in deep apologies for your loss."

"As am I," Sig added.

"Thank you, miss Izumi," Winry nodded, acknowledging the pair's sincere words. "Pinako was a strong woman who never let alone put her down."

"Yeah," Ed chipped in. "She was also a great automail mechanic. Helped make my prosthetic limbs when I lost my real ones in the human transmutation incident. Without her, I may have not been able to have the ability to walk around after that day."

"She took us in when our mom died, out of the kindness of her heart and even tolerated Ed and I. She could have just as easily abandoned us, but she didn't. That and the times all four of us shared together is the reason why I'll miss her," Alphonse continued, fighting the waves of sadness.

"Pinako was a good woman, despite knowing very little of her, I could tell she was kind hearted," Izumi stated. "Even in these peaceful times, it seems we cannot find rest."

"Though she has," Sig sorrowed, closing his eyes to prevent any tears from showing. "She's found both rest and peace."

Several minutes of remembrance passed, until a trio of heavily familiar guests arrived on the scene. Three people that Edward and Alphonse recognise like the palms of their hands.

"Mustang?" Ed rhetorically asked in disbelief.

"Miss Riza?" added Winry.

"Alex Armstrong?" Alphonse continued. _So glad he didn't bring Olivier..._

Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye and Alex Louis Armstrong had arrived, out of state uniform and in proper mourning clothes, respecting the situation.

"In the flesh," Roy joked, immediately stepping over to the coffin. "I knew very little about her, but she did eventually allow Edward to become a State Alchemist. Initial concerns did arise - she knew best and permitted it. That I can respect."

"I also never learnt much of Pinako, but from what I could tell, she was a kind and caring guardian, fit enough to take care of three children at once. That, in itself, is an achievement to be proud of," Riza nodded, drooping her head to remember the dead Pinako.

"My thoughts exactly. There is little that can be said about Pinako now that hasn't already been said, though during the time when I escorted the Elric brothers to this little hamlet when they needed repairing, I spoke to her about the boys and their actions. She spoke of them in a manner any other parent would, showing that blood relationships are not necessary to be a parent," Armstrong ended, he too respecting the dead.

Silence fell. Nobody else spoke a word for the next half an hour, until the time came when it was clear that nobody else was going to come to the funeral, so it was decided to bury the coffin. Ed and Al attempted to push the coffin into the hole but found that they couldn't do it, leading to Armstrong and Sig to push it in effortlessly. Ed and Al then began putting the mud they had dug up to form the grave back into the ditch, taking several minutes to do so. In this time, tears were shed.

As soon as the job was done, the Elric brothers took their shovels inside and put them back in the basement, then returned to the funeral. More minutes of silence eclipsed the land - time seemed to slow as sorrow was dripped onto the calm, unknowing grass. This silence was broken as Izumi, Sig, Roy, Riza and Armstrong were all going to depart, making sure that they'd see the Elric brothers and Winry once again.

Before leaving, Roy noticed something. "Perfect placement of her grave, you three," he commented. "I'll see you some other time." He then left the area with his two comrades. Alone, Ed, Al and Winry turned to face Pinako's grave - it was right next to Urey's grave.

"Damn that Mustang," Ed smirked. He and his two friends wandered inside, carrying out their lives as per the norm.

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Izumi Curtis & Sig Curtis_

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye & Alex Louis Armstrong_

One week later, Alphonse Elric was sitting in the main room, re-reading one of his books about Alkahestry that he borrowed from his Xingese friend. The blonde-haired alchemist was reading calm and peacefully, only interrupted by Edward and Winry dashing through the room and up and down the stairs, rushing to do certain things.

 _Ever since Pinako's funeral, those two have been desperately trying to keep the automail business up. They're rushing to meet deadlines, just so they can keep it alive. They said it's because they want to keep her legacy going for as long as they can and that's admirable. I wish...I wish I could help them. They're working so hard...why can't I help them? Actually, yeah, I can help them! I can do it! I'm not gonna be some chump that just lies about and does nothing! I'm gonna do something!_ Alphonse thought, putting his Alkahestry book down and opening the door to the kitchen.

However, Edward was on the other side and was rushing whilst holding a box. This hurried behaviour and Alphonse accidentally opening the door on him caused the older brother to drop the box and releasing everything that was inside. Ed was ticked off, to say the least.

"What the hell, Al?! That took me forever to do! Now I gotta pick these up all over again!" Ed shouted.

"S-sorry, brother..." Al apologised, knowing how important this was. He felt truly awful for messing his brother's work up.

"You're sorry?! Don't you know how long this took? Half an hour! That's because I kept putting them in the wrong order, then Winry barks at me to put them in the right order! Well sorry if I have to work on about a thousand other boxes and I'm absolutely tired 'cause of it!" Ed continued. "Thanks a lot, you worthless dolt! Why don't you go do some work for a change?"

Alphonse drooped his head in sadness, knowing what his brother said was true, even if some of it was mindless shouting. Having heard the screams, Winry shot up the stairs and instantly figured out what happened.

"Al, where are you going?" Winry called out, pushing past Ed. "What did your brother say to you?"

"He told me the truth, like we all deserve...the truth is the only way we can push forwards. We cannot live on lies," Alphonse answered. "I know that I'm worthless and that I don't do a lot around the house. That's why I'm gonna get a job for myself. With the money I'll get from there, I'll definitely be able to help you guys."

"But Al..." Winry cried. In anger, she turned and slapped Ed right around the face. Alphonse opened the door and was going to leave, but Winry stopped him. "Don't go. Ed will apologise, just stay with us!"

"I won't be gone for long," Alphonse replied, shaking Winry's hand off of his arm. "Goodbye, Winry. See you later, brother."

Alphonse stepped out of the door and silently closed it, leaving the Rockbell and Elric residence without another word or thought about it. He knew what to do next - it wasn't going to involve the other two.

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Alphonse Elric_

 _Fullmetal Alchemist: Edward Elric & Winry Rockbell_

Leaving behind his brother and Winry, Alphonse immediately headed for the local train station and took the first train that was to terminate in Central City...

Which is what he would have done, if Winry had not caught up to him not long after he had left the house.

"What do you think you are doing, Al?! Ed was only tired and annoyed at the work he was doing, not you!" Winry persuaded, trying her best to get Alphonse to return. "He'd never say mean words. You know how he is, he gets mad whenever work becomes too much for him to handle."

"But it's true, I barely pull my weight around the house. I'd much prefer it if I went into Central and got a job there," returned Alphonse, shaking his head. "That way I could get a reliable pay-check and I wouldn't have to depend on you guys. Wouldn't you prefer it that way too?"

"That's stupid! Ever since Ed put you in that suit of armour, he's always been looking out for you even when things got bad! Don't you dare think for even a moment that he doesn't care that much, because he cares! He simply did not mean to call you worthless," Winry refuted. "I'm sure by now he's calmed and regrets his actions. Just come back with me and we'll sort things out."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No way, brother made it perfectly clear that he wanted me to do work!"

"He never said 'go to Central and get a job'! You could be a farmer here! Don't you still have to study Alkahestry? Weren't you going to see how it could benefit Alchemists across the world?"

"That can be something I work on in my spare time."

"Don't be stupid! Just come back with me!" Winry demanded, tugging on Alphonse's arm. She was surprisingly strong.

The next few minutes devolved into a miniature version of tug-of-war, with Alphonse seemingly becoming the winner. However, a certain someone's voice ended the tugging abruptly.

"Al, just come back. I'm sorry for what I said," Edward Elric apologised, his arms folded with a sorrowful expression on his face. "I was caught up in the heat of the situation and I snapped. I'm sorry, Al. I'll try not to lash out like that again, okay?"

He had his hand out, ready to receive a handshake from his brother, whom was just staring at the familiar hand with a shocked expression. Winry had let go of him by this point and was confused and scared as to what was going to go down next.

"Brother, I..." Alphonse stuttered. "I-"

"What? You're gonna say 'I'm sorry', right? Well that's not gonna work, 'cause I already said that! You have no choice but to accept my hand and come back with us," Ed joked, with his classic teeth-baring grin.

Alphonse giggled somewhat. "Brother...how could I refuse that face?" he reluctantly agreed, taking Ed's hand and finally accepting the handshake. As happiness came awash over the trio, the three walked back to the residence and reforged their ties, making them stronger than they were before.

Never could anything break the bonds these three share, not the death of a loved one, not anything. Alphonse and Edward managed to work something out, where Al would act as the farmer while Ed and Winry would work in the house. It was a situation everyone could agree on.

A compromise, only achievable when two or more sides agree to terms and conditions that benefit each one of them. This can only occur when the sides have some kind of mutual respect for each other - Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric have so much more than mutual respect. Not because they are brothers; it is because they are the best of friends.

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 _ **Author Notes:**_ **I hope you've enjoyed my first one-shot ever since Power of Unknown. I've always wanted to do a Fullmetal Alchemist fan-fic, but I wasn't quite sure how to do it without tampering with the series too much. FMA is just one of those series that you don't mess with because it's pretty much perfect, so to avoid doing so, I wrote this.**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading! See you next time.**


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